Love and Hate: Two Sides of the Same Coin
by Catherine Chen
Summary: Rhett and Scarlett are fighting once again. Will this be the same as all of their other confrontations or will one of them finally meet the other halfway? What will this mean for them? Please read and review. Much love, Cat.
1. Hatred

This is a little of my own sentiment, but I think it also works for Scarlett

This is a little of my own sentiment, but I think it also works for Scarlett. I needed to write something a little stronger for her after my other story. So here goes it.

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"So…you think I'm repressed. Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, Rhett Butler. I'm not bloody repressed. Far from it. These little bursts of anger aren't the result of holding back my feelings. Oh, no. You should know what kind of woman you deigned to marry, 'God's gift to women'. Don't you dare smirk at me! I know what you do at nights when you don't come home. Whose arms you find comfort in," she taunted her voice dripping with contempt.

"Now, Scarlett…" he said threateningly.

"No!" she shrieked. "This is how I am, Rhett Butler. I never repress a damn thing! If I'm angry with you, I'll yell! I'm not exploding from suppressed rage. I'm furious in that damn moment so I'll shout in that damn moment. If I happen to be upset, I'll cry! I might happen to also throw a plate at your head. And you, my dear sir, will not say another damn thing about it or else…"

"So feisty. Bravo, my dear. Quite a performance. But you're forgetting something…" he trailed off.

"What?" she shouted, her chest heaving from her exertion.

He seemed a little distracted for a moment, but in less that a heartbeat, turned his attention back to her face. "How do you feel about me, Scarlett?"

"What?" she said a little breathlessly.

"That's what you repress, my dear. That's why you're so angry. Why can't you just admit it? I promise you'll feel better…"

"Why you arrogant…infuriating…You think I love you don't I? You go off with Belle and you think that I stay home pining away for you. You…you…" she stammered, flustered from anger and embarrassment.

"Yes?" he murmured in that irritating way of his that never failed to raise her hackles.

Scarlett's eyes darted around the room looking for something to strike him with. She stroked the cruet of brandy. "Such a delicate container for such a strong drink…It just doesn't seem right." She lifted the container, prepared to crash it down against his skull.

His hand shot out faster than she could react, grasping her wrist tightly. "A lovely description, my dear, the cruet is much like you," he murmured. "I would not do that if I were you," he said quite calmly.

Her eyes flared. "I'll kill you…I…"

"Now you wouldn't want to do that Scarlett, people would talk. Besides, why kill the one man who actually loves you knowing all of your faults and not merely mesmerized by a pretty face?"

"You…Rhett?" she asked quietly, sounding like a lost little girl.


	2. And the Toss

Whew! Reading this over, this did go a little fast. However, considering the chaos that is my other Gone with the Wind story, maybe rushing things is OK.

Oh and I never clarified this. It is set before the end of the movie and the novel and after they are married. I don't know much more than that. Put it wherever you want in that span of time.

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"Yes, Scarlett, I love you. What will you do now? Will you take my heart and squeeze the life out of it with your pretty, little hands? Do you think to turn me into a lapdog? One of your throng of admirers, begging for scraps of affection at your dainty feet?" he said mockingly, but with an odd look in his eyes.

"No. Oh, no, Rhett. I would never do that. I...I love you, too," whispered Scarlett.

"Do you really, my dear?" the teasing glint still in his eyes. "My, how quickly you go from wanting to scratch my eyes out to professing your love for me. I do declare it fairly makes my head spin."

"Rhett...don't do this," she pleaded petulantly. "Don't ruin the moment. Now we can finally be together. We can put an end to all this, all the fighting. I'm so tired of all the fighting Rhett."

"My darling, it isn't that simple. Do you think that just by saying 'I love you' all our problems will go away? We both have horrible tempers. You insist on bringing Ashley into our marriage, shoving him at me every chance you get. And of course there's still Belle," he reminded her.

"Damn it, Rhett. I don't care a fig about Ashley. I don't know where you got this cork-brained notion that I bring Ashley into our bed," she broke off at his eyebrow raised in query. "Well, even if I did think about him it was always afterwards. You big oaf, how could I think about anything else while you were in my arms? Your breath hot on my neck, your hands boldly caressing, you inside of me. I could barely form a coherent thought, I wasn't going to waste one on Ashley," she said furiously, not even knowing why she found it so infuriating that Rhett would think that of her.

Rhett's face lit up and the odd look came back into his eyes. "I think you might really mean that, Scarlett..."

"Yes, well, I do you big looby," she muttered. "Stop!" She held her hands out to ward him off as he made to lean down and kiss her. "Stop, Rhett!" giving up on ordering him about, and effectively stopping his kiss by placing her hand over his mouth.

He looked down at her questioningly.

"What about Belle?" she asked, her voice dripping with hatred as her rival's name soiled her lips.

"I went to see her before I came to see you. I gave her a lovely brooch and told her I wouldn't be going to see her anymore from now on. Belle's really not as bad as you think, darling. She even wished us well."

Scarlett eyes shot venom at Rhett as he bent down again for a kiss. "How could you, Rhett? Giving her a present for her...services?"

He smiled. "I got you something too, sweetheart. Reach into my jacket, Scarlett."

Suspecting a trick but unable to resist the bait, Scarlett slipped one of her elegant hands into his jacket. She swallowed audibly as her hand moved over the hard planes of his chest and he growled approvingly when she became distracted and began to smooth her hands over him, savoring the feel of the muscles tightening under her ministrations.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, darling, you did have a goal when you started this."

Blushing Scarlett reached further down until she felt a little velvet box. She pulled it out eager to see what was inside.

Once she had, Rhett took it from her gently, waving off her protests.

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If you've figured out what's going to happen, yay, good job! If not, it's ok. I'll clear it up in chapter 3, my final chapter. Yes, I could just write a normal, long chapter. Or, I could see how many hits I can get. I know, I know. My deviousness knows no bounds.


	3. Love

Thank you all so much. You've made me so incredibly happy. After surpassing 100 hits for chapter 2, I'm writing chapter 3. Note to all, this is the final chapter. I would hate it if you hung around waiting without realizing that. But please, after finishing this, take a look at my other stories. And, as always, PLEASE REVIEW!!

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"Rhett," she whined, pouting prettily in order to get him to give her back the box.

"Ah, ah, ah. What did I say about not falling for your tricks? I'm not one of your beaus, Scarlett," he reprimanded.

"Fine. May I please have the box, Rhett?" she asked him simply.

"No." He grinned when she again attempted to snatch it from his hand which he kept well above her head thanks to his above average height.

"Why not?" she complained. "Isn't it a gift for me?"

"Because this is not the kind of gift you tear open, darling. I must present it to you properly."

Hearing that Scarlett was incredibly pleased and obediently stood with her hands folded waiting for her present to be opened.

To her shock, Rhett bent down and braced his weight on one knee. Then he slowly opened the black velvet box.

"Oh, Rhett," she murmured, her voice full of awe and happiness as she took in the sight of the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. It was covered with a wealth of diamonds and sapphires, catching the light and sparkling like the sun upon a crystal blue sea.

"Do you like it, my dear?" he whispered as he stood up, knowing full well from the gleam in her eyes that she did. He had gone to the store and commissioned the gaudiest piece of jewelry he could while still having it appear tasteful.

"I love it, Rhett," she said, throwing her arms around him. "Mmmhmm," her face muffled by his chest, "you are the best husband."

"I highly doubt that, Scarlett." He tipped her chin up with one finger. "But I am the best husband for you, my dear." Seeing the reproachful look in her eyes he added, "and you are the best wife for me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a much smaller box. "I have another present for you, Scarlett, but I'm not sure if you'll want this one."

"Don't say that, silly. You've always had the best taste. What is it, Rhett?"

He resumed his earlier position, getting back down on one knee. "We didn't do it right the first time, Scarlett. You with all of your husbands, I thought you wouldn't be in the mood for a huge affair. I hadn't realized that you'd never had a proper one. After everything that's happened between us we need this, darling. I'm not suggesting we start over. I'd take a hundred heartbreaks with you over a hundred pleasantly boring years with any other woman. Scarlett, my darling, will you marry me again?" He gently opened the box to reveal a simple, elegant diamond engagement ring. In stark contrast to the huge one he had bought her when they first married, this jewel sparkled with pure, perfect beauty. He looked up at her expectantly.

"Yes, Rhett. Oh, yes, oh yes, oh yes! Oh course I'll marry you again! Oh, Rhett!"

He stood up again and slid the ring onto her finger.

He was unprepared for her when she bolted at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and lifting her head expectantly for a kiss. Always one to oblige a lady he bent his head and kissed her with all the passion and love that had been burning in his heart for what seemed like eternity. He kissed her until she was delirious, until she thought she might faint from the lack of air, but when she inhaled she breathed in the scent of his cologne and of him and it made her even more light-headed than before. He continued the kiss, knowing he was probably bruising her lips, but unable to restrain himself. Sweeping her up into his arms he carried her up the staircase of their house, aching to make love to her again and determined not to restrain himself any longer with her.

She seemed to acknowledge the vow he had made to himself and tore her lips away from his to stare up dreamily into his passion-glazed eyes. "Rhett, are we going to go upstairs now?" she whispered, her voice husky from his kiss.

"We are upstairs darling. And we are going to stay upstairs until we can no longer move, or speak, or think."

"Is that a promise, Mr. Butler?" she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head back down to hers as they reached the bedroom door.

He kicked it open and in a few long strides he had carried her to the bed and laid her gently upon it. "Yes, Mrs. Butler, it is. Frankly, I cannot think of anything I care about more at this moment."

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OK. That was a stupid ending. I blame WordPad. Maybe I'll go change it if I have too many complaints. Well, I hope you liked it. Much love, Cat.


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